HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Chennai Express'' () is a 2013 Indian
Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
-language
action comedy Action comedy is a genre that combines aspects of action and comedy. The genre is most prevalent in film with action comedy films, though several TV series fit this genre. Film The action comedy film is a film genre that combines aspects of acti ...
film directed by
Rohit Shetty Rohit Shetty (born 14 March 1974) is an Indian film director, stuntman, producer and television host who works in Hindi cinema. He is one of the most recognised film director of Hindi Cinema. His movies are often mix genres of action, comedy a ...
and produced by
Ronnie Screwvala Rohinton Soli "Ronnie" Screwvala (born 8 September 1956) is an Indian entrepreneur. He has been named on Esquire's List of the 75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century and ranked 78 among the 100 most influential people in the world on t ...
,
Siddharth Roy Kapur Siddharth Roy Kapur (born 2 August 1974) is an Indian film producer and the founder and managing director of Roy Kapur Films. He is the former managing director of The Walt Disney Company India and the former president of the Producers Guild of ...
,
Gauri Khan Gauri Khan (''née'' Chhibber; born 8 October 1970) is an Indian people, Indian film producer and Fashion design, fashion designer. She has produced films including ''Main Hoon Na'', ''Om Shanti Om'' and ''Chennai Express'' under the production ...
and
Karim Morani Karim Morani is an Indian film producer who has produced films like '' Chennai Express'' and '' Ra.One'' starring Shahrukh Khan. Morani and his brother Aly Morani co-own Cineyug, which is a film production and event management company. Film c ...
, based on a story by
K. Subash K. Subash (1959 – 23 November 2016), was an Indian director and screenwriter who directed Tamil and Hindi films. He is the son of R. Krishnan. Career K. Subash started his career as an assistant to Mani Ratnam in ''Nayakan''. He made his di ...
, with a screenplay written by Yunus Sajawal and dialogues by Farhad-Sajid. The film stars
Shah Rukh Khan Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. Referred to in the media as the " Baadshah of Bollywood", "King of Bollywood" ...
as Rahul Mithaiwala, a man who accidentally boards the eponymous train and journeys from
Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
to
Rameswaram Rameswaram (; also transliterated as Ramesvaram, Rameshwaram) is a municipality in the Ramanathapuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is on Pamban Island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is about 40 kil ...
with the daughter of a local don, played by
Deepika Padukone Deepika Padukone ( or ; born 5 January 1986) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in India, and her accolades include three Filmfare Awards. She features in listings of the nation's most pop ...
.
Nikitin Dheer Nikitin Dheer is an Indian actor who works in Hindi and Telugu language films, and television shows. He was a contestant on '' Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 5''. Acting career Dheer made his acting debut in 2008 with Ashutosh Gowariker's hi ...
and
Sathyaraj Rangaraj Subbiah (born 3 October 1954), professionally known as Sathyaraj, is an Indian actor, producer, director and a media personality who has predominantly appeares in Tamil cinema and Telugu cinema, Telugu Cinema. His 240 films also includ ...
play supporting roles. The first planned collaboration between Khan and Shetty was a remake of '' Angoor'' (1982). The script of ''Chennai Express'', which was initially written as a backup project for Khan, was chosen instead. Conceived as a "commercial
romance Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...
", the film was originally titled ''Ready Steady Po''. Filming began in
Mehboob Studio Mehboob Studio is an Indian film studio and recording studio in Bandra (W), Mumbai, founded in 1954 by director and producer Mehboob Khan, who previously owned Mehboob Productions (founded 1942), and is most known for films such as '' Mother In ...
in October 2012 and was completed by May 2013. A large part of the film was set in
Ooty Ooty (), officially known as Udhagamandalam (also known as Ootacamund (); abbreviated as Udhagai), is a city and a municipality in the Nilgiris district of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located north west of Coimbatore and so ...
, for which sets were constructed in Wai and also in
Ramoji Film City Ramoji Film City is an integrated film studio facility located in Hyderabad, India. Spread over 1,666 acres (674 ha), it is the largest film studio complex in the world and as such has been certified by the Guinness World Records. It was estab ...
. The soundtrack for ''Chennai Express'' was composed by
Vishal–Shekhar Vishal–Shekhar are an Indian music composer, production, singing and songwriting duo consisting of Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani from Mumbai. Known predominantly for their work as music composers in Hindi cinema, Vishal–Shekhar have a ...
, with the background score being composed by Amar Mohile.
UTV Motion Pictures UTV Motion Pictures (also known as Disney-UTV) was the feature film unit of UTV Software Communications founded by Ronnie Screwvala and Zarina Screwvala in 1996 as UTV Motion Pictures Plc., the film distribution division of UTV Software Communica ...
came on board as producer and distributor, marking its first active project with Khan after ''
Swades ''Swades: We, the People'' () is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language drama film co-written, directed and produced by Ashutosh Gowariker. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Gayatri Joshi and Kishori Ballal while Daya Shankar Pandey, Rajesh Vivek, Lekh Tan ...
'' (2004). ''Chennai Express'' was released theatrically in overseas markets on 8 August 2013 and a day later in India. The film received mixed reviews from critics and it broke several box office records in India and abroad, becoming the quickest film to collect net domestically. The film surpassed ''
3 Idiots ''3 Idiots'' (stylized as ''3 idiots'') is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, edited and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, co-written by Abhijat Joshi and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Adapted loosely from Cheta ...
'' (2009) to become the highest-grossing Bollywood film worldwide at that point. It is the 21st highest grossing Indian film of all time. At the
59th Filmfare Awards The 59th Filmfare Awards were held to honor the best films of 2013 from the Hindi-language film industry (commonly known as Bollywood). The nominations were announced on 13 January 2014. The ceremony that was held on 24 January 2014 (telecasted ...
, ''Chennai Express'' received 7 nominations, including
Best Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
,
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * BA ...
(Shetty), Best Actor (Khan) and
Best Actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress aw ...
(Padukone).


Plot

Rahul Mithaiwala is a 40-year-old orphaned bachelor living in
Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
. Raised by his grandparents from the age of eight, Rahul's grandfather Bhishambhar is a businessman who owns a chain of confectionery shops. Before Bhishambhar's 100th-birthday celebration, Rahul's friends Bobby and Baman invite him to accompany them on a vacation in
Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...
, which he accepts. Meanwhile, Bhishambhar dies on the eve of the celebration, just when he witnesses
Sachin Tendulkar Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (; ; born 24 April 1973) is an Indian former international cricketer who captained the Indian national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the all time highest run-scor ...
on TV in a
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
match get dismissed on his 99th run. After Bhishambhar's funeral, Rahul's grandmother Neetu tells Rahul that Bhishambhar wanted his ashes to be divided into two partsone part to be immersed in the Ganga, and the other in
Rameswaram Rameswaram (; also transliterated as Ramesvaram, Rameshwaram) is a municipality in the Ramanathapuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is on Pamban Island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is about 40 kil ...
. She asks Rahul to take the ashes to Rameswaram and disperse them. Reluctantly, he accepts her request but is also eager to attend the Goa trip. Rahul, Bobby and Baman plan to dump the ashes at Goa but Neetu wants to see him off, forcing Rahul to travel by train. He books a single ticket on the ''Chennai Express'', planning to meet Bobby and Baman along the way, at Kalyan Junction station. However, Rahul forgets to take the ashes, and he almost misses the train when he returns to collect them. As Rahul tries to leave the train, he notices a young woman running to board it. He helps her and four other people board the moving train, but the train leaves the station before he can get off. Rahul tries to flirt with the woman, who starts communicating by singing parodies of
Hindi film songs Hindi film songs, more formally known as Hindi Geet or filmi songs and informally known as Bollywood music, are songs featured in Hindi films. Derived from the song-and-dance routines common in Indian films, Bollywood songs, along with dance ...
, and explains that the four men are trying to kidnap her. Rahul lends her his mobile phone so that she can contact her friends, but the men with her grab it and throw it from the train. Rahul is annoyed but says nothing because the men are carrying weapons. Rahul tells the Travelling Ticket Examiner about them, but they push the inspector into a river below a bridge. Panicked, Rahul learns that the four men are her cousins and that her real name is Meenalochni "Meenamma" Azhagusundaram. She is fleeing from a
forced marriage Forced marriage is a marriage in which one or more of the parties is married without their consent or against their will. A marriage can also become a forced marriage even if both parties enter with full consent if one or both are later force ...
to a ruffian named Tangaballi. Meenamma's father, Durgeshwara "Durgesh" Azhagusundaram, is a powerful headman of the local mafia in
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
. Meenamma takes Rahul to Durgesh and introduces Rahul as her lover. Tangaballi challenges Rahul to a duel that Rahul unknowingly accepts, due to his lack of knowledge in
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...
. On the night of the duel, Rahul escapes with the help of a local policeman, Shamsher, but he ends up on a ship with Sri Lankan terrorists and smugglers. A gun battle ensues between the police force and the terrorists. When the police officers investigate and take Rahul into custody, he tells his story and ends up back in Komban. Terrified and once again surrounded by Durgesh's sickle-wielding henchmen, Rahul pretends to take Meenamma hostage and escapes with her in Durgesh's car, battling Durgesh's men. When the car breaks down, Rahul and Meenamma quarrel and part ways. Rahul, not knowing which way to go, returns to Meenamma, who takes him to the Vidhamba village. Meenamma tells the villagers that they are a married couple who need protection and rest, to which the villagers agree. Meenamma then realises that she has fallen in love with Rahul. When Rahul plans to sneak away, she argues, not wanting to earn the villagers' distrust. Tangaballi catches Rahul as he tries to leave, but the villagers help them escape again. Meenamma persuades Rahul to disperse Bhishambhar's ashes and travels with him to Rameswaram, where they complete the rites. On their way back, Rahul realises that he has fallen in love with Meenamma, and does not tell her where they are going. He takes Meenamma back to Durgesh and tries to make him understand and honour Meenamma's wish. He also tells Meenamma that he loves her. Rahul tells Tangaballi and his goons that he is ready for the fight this time. In the fight that follows, Rahul is severely injured but emerges victorious. Durgesh and Tangaballi reform, accepting that the love of a common man like Rahul is bigger than their physical ability and political influence. Durgesh allows Rahul to marry Meena. Rahul then leaves a message that love knows no regional or language barriers and that with a strong heart, there is no limit to what the common man can achieve.


Cast

*
Deepika Padukone Deepika Padukone ( or ; born 5 January 1986) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in India, and her accolades include three Filmfare Awards. She features in listings of the nation's most pop ...
as Meenalochni "Meenamma" Azhagusundaram *
Shah Rukh Khan Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. Referred to in the media as the " Baadshah of Bollywood", "King of Bollywood" ...
as Rahul Mithaiwala *
Nikitin Dheer Nikitin Dheer is an Indian actor who works in Hindi and Telugu language films, and television shows. He was a contestant on '' Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 5''. Acting career Dheer made his acting debut in 2008 with Ashutosh Gowariker's hi ...
as Tangaballi (Meenamma's fiancé) *
Sathyaraj Rangaraj Subbiah (born 3 October 1954), professionally known as Sathyaraj, is an Indian actor, producer, director and a media personality who has predominantly appeares in Tamil cinema and Telugu cinema, Telugu Cinema. His 240 films also includ ...
as Durgeshwara "Durgesh" Azhagusundaram (Meenamma's father) *
Mukesh Tiwari Mukesh Tiwari (born 24 August 1969) is an Indian actor, who has worked predominantly in Bollywood. and few Tamil films. He is known for playing negative and comic side roles. He entered the film industry in the year 1998 with the movie '' China ...
as Inspector Shamsher *
Kamini Kaushal Kamini Kaushal (born as Uma Kashyap, 24 February 1927) is an Indian actress who worked in Hindi films and television. She is noted for her roles in films such as ''Neecha Nagar'' (1946), which won the 1946 Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) at Cannes Fil ...
as Neetu Bhishambhar Mithaiwala (Rahul's grandmother) * Puvisha Manoharan as Radhika "Radha" Azhagusundaram (Meenamma's cousin) *
Lekh Tandon Lekh Tandon (13 February 1929 – 15 October 2017) was an Indian filmmaker and actor. He had directed numerous Bollywood movies and Indian TV Serials. He gained national fame due to success of his directorial ventures Professor (1962 film), Pri ...
as Bhishambhar Mithaiwala (Rahul's grandfather) * Manu Malik as Baman (Rahul's friend) * Rakesh Kukreti as Bobby (Rahul's friend) *
Mohan Raman Mohan Raman, also known as Mohan V. Ram (born 3 April 1956), is an Indian actor and writer. In 2017 and 2019, he was a Jury member for the National Film Award for Best Writing on Cinema. Raman is a film historian and writes for ''The Hindu''. He ...
as the village priest *
Yogi Babu Yogi Babu (born 22 July 1985) is an Indian actor and comedian, who appears in Tamil films. A three time Ananda Vikatan Cinema Award winner, he performed in '' Aandavan Kattalai'' (2016), ''Kolamavu Kokila'' (2018) and '' Pariyerum Perumal'' (2 ...
as the Sri Lankan smuggler *
Jasper Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or cryptocrystalline chalcedony and other mineral phases,Kostov, R. I. 2010. Review on the mineralogical systematics of jasper and related rocks. – Archaeometry Workshop, 7, 3, 209-213PDF/ref> ...
as Chinna Anna *
Besant Ravi Besant Ravi (born R. Ravi Kumar; 1 June 1970) is an Indian actor and stunt choreographer. He has played antagonistic supporting roles in Tamil, Hindi and several other Indian language films. Early life Besant Ravi, who was born and brought up ...
as Durgeshwara's Henchman known as "Periya Anna" *
King Kong King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...
as a passerby *
Jimmy Moses Jimmy Moses Janumala is an Indian actor, playback singer, stand-up comedian and mimicry artist from Mumbai. He is younger brother of comedian Johnny Lever. Jimmy has been doing comedy for more than two decades now, and has done about 4,000 shows ...
as a truck driver *
Delhi Ganesh Delhi Ganesh is an Indian actor who mostly acts in supporting roles in Tamil cinema and serials. He has acted in more than 400 films from 1976 to present. Before films, he was a member of the Delhi-based theatre troupe, ''Dakshina Bharata Natak ...
as a villager *
Priyamani Priya Vasudev Mani Iyer (born 4 June 1984), known by her professional name Priyamani, is an Indian actress and former model, who works in the South Indian film industry. She is a recipient of Several Awards. Priyamani made her acting debut ...
(
item number In Indian cinema, an item number or item song is a musical number inserted into a film that may or may not have any relevance to the plot. The term is commonly used within Indian films (Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Punjabi, and Be ...
"1 2 3 4 Get on the Dance Floor")


Production


Development and casting

Mayank and
Rohit Shetty Rohit Shetty (born 14 March 1974) is an Indian film director, stuntman, producer and television host who works in Hindi cinema. He is one of the most recognised film director of Hindi Cinema. His movies are often mix genres of action, comedy a ...
had originally planned to team up with
Shah Rukh Khan Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. Referred to in the media as the " Baadshah of Bollywood", "King of Bollywood" ...
for a remake of the 1982 film, '' Angoor''. After the 2011 blockbuster ''
Singham ''Singham'' is a 2011 Indian Hindi-language action film directed by Rohit Shetty and produced by Reliance Entertainment, based on a script by writers Yunus Sajawal and Farhad-Sajid. It serves as first installment of Shetty's Cop Universe. A ...
'', Shetty had begun writing the script of the film but left it half-finished. The script of ''Chennai Express'' was ready for Khan as a back-up, because of the difficulty of obtaining the actor's filming dates. Upon reading the script, Khan liked the idea and agreed to star in it before the ''Angoor'' remake, causing ''Angoor'' remake to be postponed. Shetty said the film is "a hard-core commercial film with a romantic angle. The story is about this man's travel from Mumbai to Rameshwaram and what happens during the journey." About 68 minutes of footage were enhanced with CGI by
Reliance MediaWorks Reliance MediaWorks Limited (RMW) is a film and entertainment services company and a member of the Reliance Group. The company is one of India's film and entertainment services companies with a presence across several media businesses including ...
. Khan was the first actor to be approached with the script and was the first lead actor to be signed for the film. Rohit Shetty stated that despite the title, Khan would not play a South Indian in the film. The casting of the lead heroine was the subject of much press speculation;
Kareena Kapoor Kareena Kapoor Khan (; ''née'' Kapoor; born 21 September 1980) is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood, Hindi films. She is the daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and the younger sister of actress Karisma Kapoor. Noted for pl ...
,
Asin Asin Thottumkal (born 26 October 1985), known mononymously as Asin, is a former Indian actress who appeared predominantly in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu films. She is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer. She has received three Filmfare Awards. She ...
and
Deepika Padukone Deepika Padukone ( or ; born 5 January 1986) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in India, and her accolades include three Filmfare Awards. She features in listings of the nation's most pop ...
were rumoured to be involved. Shetty denied those rumours, stating that the cast would be finalised in April 2012, and that he was going to cast an established actress in the role. In October 2012, it was confirmed that
Deepika Padukone Deepika Padukone ( or ; born 5 January 1986) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in India, and her accolades include three Filmfare Awards. She features in listings of the nation's most pop ...
had been signed to play the female lead opposite Khan, and photographs showing Padukone and Khan shooting were released. This was Padukone's second film opposite Khan, with whom she made her Bollywood debut in the 2007 blockbuster ''
Om Shanti Om ''Om Shanti Om'' (transl. ''Peace Be With You'') is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language fantasy romance film written and directed by Farah Khan, co-written by Mayur Puri and Mushtaq Shiekh, and produced by Gauri Khan under the banner of Red Chillies E ...
''. Starting with this film, which was released on Women's Day, Khan wished to have the name of his female co-star appear above his own in the credits.
Sathyaraj Rangaraj Subbiah (born 3 October 1954), professionally known as Sathyaraj, is an Indian actor, producer, director and a media personality who has predominantly appeares in Tamil cinema and Telugu cinema, Telugu Cinema. His 240 films also includ ...
was cast to play the role of Padukone's character's father, making his debut in Bollywood. Actress
Priyamani Priya Vasudev Mani Iyer (born 4 June 1984), known by her professional name Priyamani, is an Indian actress and former model, who works in the South Indian film industry. She is a recipient of Several Awards. Priyamani made her acting debut ...
was signed in January 2013 for an item number in the film replacing Nayanthara. Other personalities from
Tamil cinema Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood is a part of Indian Cinema; primarily engaged in production of motion pictures in the Tamil language. Based out of the Kodambakkam neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, it is popularly called ''Kollywood' ...
, including
Delhi Ganesh Delhi Ganesh is an Indian actor who mostly acts in supporting roles in Tamil cinema and serials. He has acted in more than 400 films from 1976 to present. Before films, he was a member of the Delhi-based theatre troupe, ''Dakshina Bharata Natak ...
and
Mohan Raman Mohan Raman, also known as Mohan V. Ram (born 3 April 1956), is an Indian actor and writer. In 2017 and 2019, he was a Jury member for the National Film Award for Best Writing on Cinema. Raman is a film historian and writes for ''The Hindu''. He ...
, appear in minor roles. The film was initially titled as ''Ready Steady Po''. However, to emphasis on the connection with South India, the film was retitled as ''Chennai Express'' with the planned title used as the tagline.


Filming and post-production

Filming on the project began at
Mehboob Studio Mehboob Studio is an Indian film studio and recording studio in Bandra (W), Mumbai, founded in 1954 by director and producer Mehboob Khan, who previously owned Mehboob Productions (founded 1942), and is most known for films such as '' Mother In ...
in Mumbai on 5 October 2012. Additional filming was done at
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (officially Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Bombay station code: CSMT ( mainline)/ST (suburban)), is a historic railway terminus and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The terminus wa ...
with a minimal crew. Stills of the lead actor were unofficially released in mid-October 2012. In November 2012, the cast and crew went to Goa to begin filming the scenes set there.
Vasco da Gama railway station Vasco da Gama (station code: VSG) is a railway station serving the town of Vasco da Gama in Goa, India. History The station was part of Marmagao and Vasco metre-gauge railway line. This was main rail in the state until Konkan Railway ...
was used to portray as
Kalyan Junction railway station Kalyan Junction is a major railway junction station on the central line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network, lying at the junction of the north-east and south-east lines of the suburban Mumbai division of the Central Railway, north-east of ...
. A romantic scene on board a train passing next to
Dudhsagar Falls Dudhsagar Falls () is a four-tiered waterfall located on the Mandovi River in the Indian state of Goa. It is 60 km from Panaji by road and is located on the Belgavi–Vasco Da Gama rail route about 46 km east of Madgaon and 80  ...
was also shot. In December 2012, the crew went to
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
to film certain scenes. The
Pamban Bridge Pamban Bridge is a railway bridge that connects the town of Mandapam in mainland India with Rameswaram on Pamban Island. Opened on 24 February 1914, it was India's first sea bridge, and was the longest sea bridge in India until the opening of t ...
also known as Annai Indira Gandhi Bridge, connecting the town of
Mandapam Mandapam is a panchayat town in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The famed Pamban Railway bridge and Vehicular bridge lie to the East of this Panchayat Town. Mandapam is Tamil Nadu’s largest refugee camp for Sri L ...
in Tamil Nadu with Pamban Island, and
Rameswaram Rameswaram (; also transliterated as Ramesvaram, Rameshwaram) is a municipality in the Ramanathapuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is on Pamban Island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is about 40 kil ...
was the scene for the song "Tera Rastaa Chhodoon Na". In January 2013, a shoot was supposedly scheduled to take place in
Ooty Ooty (), officially known as Udhagamandalam (also known as Ootacamund (); abbreviated as Udhagai), is a city and a municipality in the Nilgiris district of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located north west of Coimbatore and so ...
, but since Khan felt that Ooty was too far from Mumbai, several locations from Ooty were reconstructed on the outskirts of
Panchgani Panchgani, called Paachgani (पाचगणी in Marathi), is a hill station and municipal council in Satara district in Maharashtra, India. Panchgani attracts tourists throughout the year. It is also known for having many residential educat ...
in
Wai Wai or WAI may refer to : Places * Wai, Maharashtra, a small town in India ** Wai (Vidhan Sabha constituency), a Maharashtra Legislative Assembly constituency centered around the town * Wao State (Vav, Wai, Way), a former princely state in Banas K ...
by the art director Narendra Ruharikar. It took over 40 days and 15 million to build the required sets. Filming in Wai took the entire month of March 2013. A 10-day shooting schedule in
Munnar Munnar () is a town and hill station in the Idukki district of the southwestern Indian state of Kerala. Munnar is situated at around above mean sea level, in the Western Ghats mountain range. Munnar is also called the "Kashmir of South Indi ...
, Kerala, began in mid-April 2013; scenes were filmed at
Devikulam Devikulam () is a Grama Panchayat and small hill station of about from Munnar in the Idukki District of Kerala State, India. It lies above sea level. Etymology The name Devikulam is a conjunction of the words ''Devi'', from the goddess Devi a ...
Lake,
Meesapulimala Meesapulimala is an Indian peak, the next south of the second highest peak (Manna Malai ) of the Western Ghats on the border of Idukki district, Kerala state. Its peak is above sea level. The name derives from its appearance from the southwes ...
, Wagavara and Kannimala. Filming was stopped for several days because of heavy rainfall, resulting in the schedule being slightly extended until end of the same month. A press conference was held in Munnar. In May 2013, scenes were filmed in North Goa.
Padukone Padukone is a coastal village in Byndoor Taluk, Udupi District. It is also a surname from coastal Karnataka in India. Padukone Village surrounded by the Souparnika River. It is near famous Maravanthe. A portion of Nada Grama and Hadavu Grama is u ...
finished shooting on 25 May 2013. Khan flew to
Ramoji Film City Ramoji Film City is an integrated film studio facility located in Hyderabad, India. Spread over 1,666 acres (674 ha), it is the largest film studio complex in the world and as such has been certified by the Guinness World Records. It was estab ...
,
Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...
in May 2013 to film his remaining scenes. The film has several Tamil dialogues, but to retain context no subtitles were used. ''Chennai Express'' was produced by
Gauri Khan Gauri Khan (''née'' Chhibber; born 8 October 1970) is an Indian people, Indian film producer and Fashion design, fashion designer. She has produced films including ''Main Hoon Na'', ''Om Shanti Om'' and ''Chennai Express'' under the production ...
,
Karim Morani Karim Morani is an Indian film producer who has produced films like '' Chennai Express'' and '' Ra.One'' starring Shahrukh Khan. Morani and his brother Aly Morani co-own Cineyug, which is a film production and event management company. Film c ...
,
Ronnie Screwvala Rohinton Soli "Ronnie" Screwvala (born 8 September 1956) is an Indian entrepreneur. He has been named on Esquire's List of the 75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century and ranked 78 among the 100 most influential people in the world on t ...
and
Siddharth Roy Kapur Siddharth Roy Kapur (born 2 August 1974) is an Indian film producer and the founder and managing director of Roy Kapur Films. He is the former managing director of The Walt Disney Company India and the former president of the Producers Guild of ...
under the
Red Chillies Entertainment Red Chillies Entertainment is an Indian visual effects, production and distribution company established by actor Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan in 2002. It was transformed from the defunct Dreamz Unlimited. Based in Mumbai, the studio's ...
banner. It was released internationally by
UTV Motion Pictures UTV Motion Pictures (also known as Disney-UTV) was the feature film unit of UTV Software Communications founded by Ronnie Screwvala and Zarina Screwvala in 1996 as UTV Motion Pictures Plc., the film distribution division of UTV Software Communica ...
.


Music

The score of ''Chennai Express'' was composed by Amar Mohile; the songs were composed by the duo
Vishal–Shekhar Vishal–Shekhar are an Indian music composer, production, singing and songwriting duo consisting of Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani from Mumbai. Known predominantly for their work as music composers in Hindi cinema, Vishal–Shekhar have a ...
, and the lyrics were written by
Amitabh Bhattacharya Amitabh Bhattacharya (born 16 November 1976) is an Indian lyricist and playback singer who works in Bollywood films. He shot to fame with the film ''Dev.D'' with the song "Emotional Atyachar" turning an instant hit. He sang this song under the ...
and
Yo Yo Honey Singh Hirdesh Singh (born 15 March 1983), known professionally as Yo Yo Honey Singh or simply Honey Singh, is an Indian music producer, rapper, singer, songwriter and an actor. He started out in 2003 as a session and recording artist, and became a b ...
. Recording of the songs began in late October 2012. The track "Ready Steady Po" was recorded in November 2012 by the music's composers. Several sources said that the director and actor were unsatisfied with the score. The director was reportedly asked to plan for a different musical composition. However, the composers denied these rumours. In mid-April 2013, singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam (4 June 1946 – 25 September 2020), also referred to as SPB or SP Balu or Balu, was an Indian playback singer, television presenter, actor, music composer, dubbing artist, and film producer. He is wi ...
recorded the title track for the film, marking his return to Bollywood for playback after an absence of fifteen years. He said the song celebrated the spirit of togetherness. Initially, Balasubrahmanyam was apprehensive, but chose to sing due to the content and leads of the film. The song "1 2 3 4 Get On The Dance Floor" was released as a promotional single on World Music Day. On 27 June 2013, the video promo of the song "Titli" was released, and on 11 July 2013, the promo video of "Kashmir Main Tu Kanyakumari" was released. On 19 July 2013, T-Series uploaded a song to its official channel on YouTube; sung by
Honey Singh Hirdesh Singh (born 15 March 1983), known professionally as Yo Yo Honey Singh or simply Honey Singh, is an Indian music producer, rapper, singer, songwriter and an actor. He started out in 2003 as a session and recording artist, and became a b ...
. The song was titled "
Lungi Dance "Lungi Dance" is an Indian song composed and sung by Indian music, Indian rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh for the soundtrack of the List of Bollywood films of 2013, 2013 Bollywood film ''Chennai Express''. The soundtrack was officially released on 1 Ju ...
– The 'Thalaivar(r)' Tribute" in honour of the film actor
Rajinikanth Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (born 12 December 1950), known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor, producer and screenwriter. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 160 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannad ...
. On 25 July 2013, a promotional video of the song "Tera Rasta Main Chhodoon Na" was released. The music album was launched on 1 July 2013.


Release

The film had paid previews in India on 8 August 2013, with ten to twelve shows at multiplexes. ''Chennai Express'' was scheduled to be released in non-traditional international markets. In Peru, it was the first Hindi film to be released on the same day as in India. ''Chennai Express'' was also released in Morocco, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, and Israel. The price of tickets for ''Chennai Express'' was increased 40 percent above the usual tariff during the weekday shows and up to 20 percent on weekends; although this increase was not uniformly applied in all multiplexes. The film was released in 2,550 cinemas across 3,550 screens in India, and across 700 screens internationallyincluding 196 screens in North America, 175 in the United Kingdom, 55 in the Middle East, and 30 in Australiathe widest Bollywood release up to that point.


Marketing

A first look of ''Chennai Express'' was released on 1 January 2013. A 31-second title track teaser, sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, was released on 23 May 2013. The official trailer of the film was released at an event in Mumbai on 13 June 2013; two days after its launch it exceeded four million views on YouTube. The outfits worn by Khan and Padukone in the film were auctioned; proceeds from the sale were donated to a charity. The auction took place around the day of the film's release. A
Karaoke Karaoke (; ; , clipped compound of Japanese ''kara'' "empty" and ''ōkesutora'' "orchestra") is a type of interactive entertainment usually offered in clubs and bars, where people sing along to recorded music using a microphone. The music is ...
app developed by ''Singbox''a Swedish gaming studiowas launched on 2 August 2013 for Android and iOS based smartphones. Khan promoted his film on the reality television shows '' Comedy Nights with Kapil'', ''
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah ''Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah'' () is an Indian sitcom based on the weekly column "Duniya Ne Undha Chasma" by Taarak Mehta in '' Chitralekha'' magazine. It is produced by Asit Kumar Modi. It premiered on 28 July 2008 and airs on Sony SAB ...
'', ''
Madhubala Ek Ishq Ek Junoon Madhubala (born Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi; 14 February 1933 – 23 February 1969) was an Indian actress and producer who worked in Hindi-language films. She ranked as one of the highest-paid entertainers in India in the History of India (1947 ...
'', '' DID Super Moms'', '' Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6'' and ''
Indian Idol Junior ''Indian Idol Junior'' is an Indian Hindi-language reality television singing competition and is part of ''Indian Idol''. It began broadcasting on Sony Entertainment Television from 1 June 2013. Karan Wahi and Mandira Bedi were hosts of the sho ...
''. The Zeitgeist
Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...
's year-end compilation of the most frequent search queriesnamed ''Chennai Express'' the most trending topic of 2013 in India. The film's satellite television rights were sold to
Zee Network Zee Entertainment Enterprises (formerly Zee Telefilms) is an Indian media conglomerate owned by Essel Group. Headquartered in Mumbai, it has interests in television, print, internet, film, businesses related to mobile contents, and operates ...
for . The agreement was linked to the film's box office revenuethe first deal of its kind in Indian cinema. If ''Chennai Express'' collected over net, then for every 100 million earned after that, the producers would get an additional 20 million. The film had its television premiere on 20 October 2013, and was seen by a record number of viewers, almost doubling that of the highest rated fiction show. It helped its broadcaster,
Zee TV Zee TV (stylised as ZEE TV) is a Hindi general entertainment pay television channel in India. It was launched on 2 October 1992, as the first privately owned TV channel in the country. It is owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises. Zee TV also ...
, to reach the top position among General Entertainment Channels that month.


Legal issues

Along with ''
Once Upon ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara! ''Once Upon ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara!'' (; ) is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language gangster film directed by Milan Luthria and produced by Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor. A sequel to 2010's ''Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai'', the film stars Akshay Kuma ...
'', ''Chennai Express'' was initially abandoned by Pakistani distributors and exhibitors because four Pakistani films were released on the same day. The release dates were postponed to 15 and 9 August, respectively. During its Wai schedule of filming, the film's unit ran into trouble for using too much water from
Dhom Dam Dhom Dam is an earthfill and gravity dam on Krishna river near Wai in state of Maharashtra in India. Its co-ordinates are 17.9815° N, 73.7954° E. Specifications The height of Dhom Dam above the lowest foundation is 50 meters (160 ft, see ...
, in the drought-stricken
Satara district Satara district (Marathi pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, aːt̪aɾaː is a Districts of Maharashtra, district of Maharashtra state in western India with an area of and a population of 3,003,741 of which 14.17% were urban (). Satara (city), ...
of
Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
. The state's relief and rehabilitation minister, Patangrao Kadam, addressed the problem. The film's poster and trailer, released on Twitter and YouTube, were criticised by some Tamil media for their depiction of Tamil ethos. They said Padukone's heavily accented dialogue resembled a Malayalee accent rather than a Tamil one. Padukone defended the film, saying that it did not parody South Indian culture and that most of the crew, including herself, are South Indians. She later said, "Why would we spoof our own culture?" On 31 July 2013, the Nationalist political party Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's film wing threatened to disrupt the film's premiere; it reportedly attempted to dislodge ongoing popular Marathi movies from cinemas that show only one film at a time. The party was upset with reports that the distributors of ''Chennai Express'' had demanded prime slots in single-screen cinemas, and at some multiplexes, where the superhit Marathi film ''
Duniyadari ''Duniyadari'' (; Marathi: दुनियादारी) is a 2013 Indian Marathi-language romantic comedy drama film directed by Sanjay Jadhav and produced by Deepak Rane. The film is based on the novel of the same name by author Suhas ...
'' (2013) had been popular since 19 July. On 1 August 2013, both the film directors, Rohit Shetty and Sanjay Jadhav were called on by
Raj Thackeray Raj Shrikant Thackeray (Marathi pronunciation: aːd͡ʒ ʈʰaːkɾeː born Swaraj Shrikant Thackeray; 14 June 1968) is an Indian politician and the founding chairperson of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), a regional political party. Raj wa ...
to find a solution. After listening to both parties, Thackeray ruled that if ''Duniyadari'' was not removed from single-screen cinemas across the state, then the MNS would not object to the release of ''Chennai Express'' in Maharashtra. ''Chennai Express'' was released in 10 languages.


Critical reception

''Chennai Express'' received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics worldwide.


India

Taran Adarsh Taran Adarsh (born 13 June 1965) is an Indian film critic and trade analyst. He is best known for giving trade figures and box office updates on social media. Career Taran Adarsh started his journalism career at the age of 15 with ''Trade Gui ...
of ''
Bollywood Hungama Bollywood Hungama (lit. "Bollywood Madness" in Hindi), previously known as IndiaFM (or IndiaFM.com), is a Bollywood entertainment website, owned by Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, which acquired the website in 2000. The website provides ...
'' gave the movie 4 out of 5 stars and wrote, "On the whole, '''Chennai Express''' has the trademark Rohit Shetty stamp all over. You seek entertainment, entertainment and entertainment in a film like '''Chennai Express''' and the movie lives up to the hype and hoopla surrounding it." Rachit Gupta of ''Filmfare'' rated the movie 4 of 5 stars, stating, "The film's peppered with humorous set pieces and colourful locales and songs. Shetty makes chettinad-style masala movies. And that's the perfect description of this film. If you don't plan to engage in a multi-lateral critique of dramatic elements and narrative, this film can be fun." Sarita Tanwar Of '' DNA'' gave the movie 3.5 of 5 stars and said, "This is a treat for all Hindi film lovers. It has all the ingredients you'd expect from a big commercial masala filmbig star cast, drama, action, comedy, songs, the car chases and the big finish, all delivered in Shetty's unapologetic ishtyle ...  Overall, this is a bubblegum blockbuster." Meena Iyer of ''
Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, t ...
'' gave the movie 3.5 of 5 stars, saying, "Chennai Express is a magnificently mounted film. In an ode to his own cinemaread ''Golmaal'' series or ''Bol Bachchan'', Rohit Shetty, the director, who has grosser in Bollywood's 100-crore club, ups the scale for his Eid offering." Saibal Chatterjee of ''
NDTV New Delhi Television Ltd is an Indian news media company focusing on broadcast and digital news publication. The company is considered to be a legacy brand that pioneered independent news broadcasting in India, and is credited for launching t ...
'' gave the movie 3 of 5 stars and said that, "The whole-hearted zeal that SRK and Deepika bring to the table and the steady flow of funny one-liners serve Shetty's purpose well, turning ''Chennai Express'' into a full-on masala film that is completely unapologetic about its intentions. And that is its USP nique Selling Point" ''
Zee News Zee News is an Indian Hindi-language news channel owned by Subhash Chandra's Essel Group. It launched on 27 August 1999 and is the flagship channel of the Zee Media Corporation. The channel has been involved in several controversies and has ...
'' rated the movie 3 of 5 stars, stating that if one ignores the platitudes, the absence of "punch" in the script and predictability, then the person is "on board for a fun ride" with Chennai Express. ''
India Today ''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' launched a new onl ...
'' gave the film 3 stars: "The good news first. Chennai Express''' is a pleasant and likeable film in parts. The bad news is, it does nothing for Shah Rukh Khan's indomitable star power except to tell us he can still play a 40-year ldRahul without faltering." Abhishek Gupta of ''
India TV India TV is a Hindi news channel based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. The channel was launched on 20 May 2004 by Rajat Sharma and wife Ritu Dhawan. The channel is a subsidiary of Independent News Service, which was co-founded by Sharma and Dha ...
'' gave it 2.5 stars and wrote, "The comedy along with the action is rarely served with equal entertainment in today's cinema. We discern Rohit Shetty for his mass leisure which includes cars fluttering from the unknown corners and comedy which isn't slapstick but works." Critic
Baradwaj Rangan Baradwaj Rangan is an Indian film critic, writer, and formerly the deputy editor of ''The Hindu''. He later became a senior editor of Film Companion. Rangan won the National Film Award for Best Film Critic in 2006. Before joining ''The Hindu' ...
wrote, "Still, given the material, Shetty does more right than wrong...Shetty fashions a Shah Rukh Khan showreel, borrowing bits from his greatest hits, and gives us an unfettered avatar of the star that the star himself has seemed somewhat ashamed, of late, to embrace." Shubhra Gupta of ''
The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932. It is published in Mumbai by the Indian Express Group. In 1999, eight years after the group's founder Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split betw ...
'' gave the movie 2.5 out of 5 stars, and wrote that the film comes up with some genuinely funny moments. She commended Padukone's looks, although she criticized aspects of her stagecraft skills. Sukanya Verma of ''Rediff.com'' gave the film 2.5 stars, saying, "Chennai Express evokes a few laughs but otherwise it decides to shift tracks from droll comedy to dreadful drama." Khalid Mohamed of ''
Deccan Chronicle ''Deccan Chronicle'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded by Rajagopal Mudaliar in the 1930s & currently owned by Samagrah Commercial Pvt Limited. It is published in Hyderabad, Telangana, by Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited ( ...
'' gave the film 2.5 stars and wrote, "board Chennai Express at your own risk".
Rajeev Masand Rajeev Masand is an Indian film critic and journalist. He has worked for Noida based English language news channel CNN-Indian Broadcasting Network (CNN-IBN). He usually reviews Bollywood films and major Hollywood films released in India in his ...
of ''
CNN-IBN CNN-News18 (originally CNN-IBN) is an Indian English-language news television channel founded by Raghav Bahl based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is currently co-owned by Network18 Group and Warner Bros. Discovery. CNN provides internationa ...
'' gave the film 2/5 rating and said the film was a "big, fat" bore. He commented that ''Chennai Express'' was a "bloated vanity project", and felt that the lead actor could have performed better.
Anupama Chopra Anupama Chopra () is an Indian author, journalist, film critic and director of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. She is also the founder and editor of the digital platform Film Companion, which offers a curated look at cinema. She has written sev ...
gave the film 2 out of 5 stars and said, "''Chennai Express'' plays neither to Rohit's strengths nor to Shah Rukh's. It's a strangely sloppy mishmash of cheesy humour, half-hearted romance, half-baked emotion and head-banging action. The film is filled with gigantic men whose size functions as a punch line."
Mayank Shekhar Mayank Shekhar is an Indian film critic, journalist and author. He has been a film critic and a national cultural editor with ''Hindustan Times''. He previously worked under ''Mumbai Mirror'' and '' MiD DAY''. He also used to write a blog, ''Fad F ...
of ''
Dainik Bhaskar ''Dainik Bhaskar ''is India's largest Hindi-language daily newspaper owned by the Dainik Bhaskar Group. According to Audit Bureau of Circulations, it is ranked 3rd in the world by circulation and is the largest newspaper in India by circula ...
'' rated it 1 star out of 5, saying, "You've paid for the ticket? Yes. Now just sit back and suffer." Raja Sen of
Rediff Rediff.com (stylized as ''rediff.com'') is an Indian news, information, entertainment and shopping web portal. It was founded in 1996. It is headquartered in Mumbai, with offices in Bangalore, New Delhi and New York City. , it had more than 300 e ...
gave the film 1 out of 5 stars and said, "Shah Rukh Khan yelps and squeaks and shrieks and bares fangs and pouts and, well, exhausts himself overcompensating at every step, despite nobody else in the film following this template."


Overseas

Rachel Saltz of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' wrote, "''Chennai Express''' feels like a sumptuous meal with carefully chosen wine and tasty appetizers but a botched main course. Money and visual care have been lavished on this Bollywood action-comedy-romance and glossy stars engaged (Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone). But the movie chugs along for most of its 2 hours and 20 minutes searching for comedy and characters in a frantically overplotted story." Sneha May Francis of ''
Emirates 24/7 Emirates 24/7, stylised as Emirates 24, 7, is a Dubai Media Incorporated news website and television news programme, respectively. The televised news programme, Emirates 24/7, is a 30-minute segment broadcast weekly on Dubai Media Inc.'s televisio ...
'' wrote, "Rohit Shetty's s(h)tyle of romance relies heavily on buffoonery and will be applauded mainly by Shah Rukh Khan loyalists". She added, "Rohit's carnival-like comedy coaxes some laughs, but can leave you exhausted." Sneha said that Padukone's performance "outshines" that of Khan. Ronnie Scheib of ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' wrote, "Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone are ill matched in this overworked comedy/romance/actioner ... Shetty's need to maintain his characters' romantic heroism constantly grates against his depictions of their ridiculousness." Simon Foster of the ''
Special Broadcasting Service The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is an Australian hybrid-funded public service broadcaster. About 80 percent of funding for the company is derived from the Australian Government. SBS operates six TV channels ( SBS, SBS Viceland, SBS World ...
'' gave the film 2 stars out of 5 and described it as "a loud, lame-brained romantic comedy from the (very) broad directorial brush of Rohit Shetty, SRK's over-hyped vehicle sees the charismatic but ageing actor badly miscast and easily overshadowed by his leading lady, Deepika Padukone."


Box office

At the time, ''Chennai Express'' became the highest-grossing Bollywood film, both in India and around the world, when it collected . It currently stands as the eighteenth-highest-grossing Bollywood film worldwide. The film's gross broke the record set by ''
3 Idiots ''3 Idiots'' (stylized as ''3 idiots'') is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, edited and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, co-written by Abhijat Joshi and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Adapted loosely from Cheta ...
'', according to ''Box Office India''. The film's final worldwide gross was 423
crore A crore (; abbreviated cr) denotes ten million (10,000,000 or 107 in scientific notation) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. It is written as 1,00,00,000 with the local 2,2,3 style of digit group separators (one lakh is e ...
(
US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
72.31 million).


India

During paid previews, ''Chennai Express'' performed well, with the Hindi version collecting 67.5 million, surpassing the previous record held by ''3 Idiots'', according to ''
Box Office India Box Office India is an Indian film website. Its traffic ranking in India is 83,665 . A new Box Office India website went live on 20 January 2014. About Box Office India was launched on 10 June 2003. Its uses Whois privacy to anonymize its owne ...
''. The film collected 292.5 million on its opening day, making it the second-highest opening day collection behind ''
Ek Tha Tiger ''Ek Tha Tiger'' () is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language espionage action thriller film directed by Kabir Khan and co-written by Khan and Neelesh Misra, from a story by and produced by Aditya Chopra. It is the first installment in the ''Tiger'' fr ...
''. The film broke the second and third day box office records, collecting , and , respectively, and collected ( including paid previews), breaking the previous weekend record set by ''
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani ''Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani'' (), also abbreviated as ''YJHD'', is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age romantic comedy-drama film directed by Ayan Mukerji, written by Mukerji and Hussain Dalal, and produced by Karan Johar. It stars Ranbir ...
''. ''Chennai Express'' set another record for worldwide opening gross, earning in the three-day weekend. The film performed well on Monday, collecting over . It grossed on its first Tuesday, becoming Shah Rukh Khan's highest-grossing film in India. The film grossed on Wednesday. ''Box Office India'' reported that the film grossed net on Thursday, taking its first week total (including paid previews) to , beating the previous record of ''Ek Tha Tiger''. It had a worldwide gross of in the first seven days. The film collected on its second weekend, taking the total domestic net to , and also became the second-highest-grossing Bollywood film in ten days with a worldwide gross of . The film earned in two weeks and had collected after its third weekend in the domestic market. It grossed in its third week, bringing up its total to . ''Chennai Express'' broke the domestic net record set by ''3 Idiots'' in its fourth weekend and added around in week four to take the total to . The film collected on its sixth week, for a final total of . The film's lifetime domestic distributor share stands at , breaking ''Ek Tha Tiger''s previous record of .


Overseas

''Chennai Express'' also broke overseas records; during paid previews in the UK the film collected more than any first day of a Bollywood film in the UK. The film broke opening weekend records in foreign territories, taking in , including record collections from key markets in the US ($2.22 million), the UAE (AED 7.73 million) and the UK (£934,118). ''Chennai Express'' set a record for opening weekends overseas, grossing . It was also successful in Pakistan, where it collected in its opening weekend. By 18 August, the film had broken all box office records in
Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
by grossing over . The film earned in just nine days in overseas markets. By the second weekend, it had grossed approximately . ''Chennai Express'' had grossed about by its third weekend overseas and by the fourth weekend. By the fifth weekend, the film had grossed about abroad. It was still collecting in its sixth weekend, taking its total to .


Records


Awards and nominations


Game

A platform running game titled ''Chennai Express: Escape from Rameshwaram'', based on the film and featuring Shahrukh Khan & Deepika Padukone, was developed by Disney UTV's digital wing, and launched on 24 July 2013 for Android systems. In the game, the player rides a virtual roller-coaster, fighting off goons and dodging obstacles while they attempt to collect over 10,000 coins in order to unlock Padukone's game avatar.


Notes


References


External links

* (archive) * * * * * {{Authority control 2013 films Films set in Chennai Films set on trains Indian action comedy films Films shot at Ramoji Film City 2010s Hindi-language films Indian nonlinear narrative films Films directed by Rohit Shetty Films scored by Vishal–Shekhar Films shot in Munnar Films set in Maharashtra Films shot in Mumbai Films set in Tamil Nadu Films shot in Goa Films shot in Hyderabad, India Films shot in Tamil Nadu UTV Motion Pictures films Red Chillies Entertainment films 2013 comedy films